Kiké Hernández and outfielder Manuel Margot are added to the Twins’ three-player transaction with the Dodgers.
Manuel Margot, a center fielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers, makes his way back to the dugout during the first inning of Friday’s spring training game in Phoenix against the San Diego Padres.
Ashley Landis of the AP
On Monday, the Los Angeles Dodgers traded minor league shortstop Noah Miller to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for outfielder Manuel Margot, cash, and minor league shortstop Rayne Doncon.
The Dodgers announced a $4 million, one-year contract to retain Kiké Hernández in conjunction with the trade.
Margot, 29, was traded by Tampa Bay to the Dodgers two months ago, along with starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow.
Margot played center field and right field for the Rays last season, batting.264 with a.686 OPS in 99 games. He’s also taken a wild swing.
Twins manager Rocco Baldelli described him as a guy that can compliment you extremely well against left-handed pitching. He assists you at the field’s center. In terms of skill set, he is quite versatile. He fits the description of the kind of guy we discussed adding to fill out our roster. He brings a lot of character to the team, both on and off the field and in the clubhouse.
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Before being sold to the Rays, Margot played center field for the Padres from 2017 to 2019, when he made his major league debut with San Diego. He has batted.255 with a.694 OPS, 52 home runs, and 91 stolen bases in 788 career games.
Most guys start to slow down a lot around that age. He isn’t, Baldelli remarked. He’s a tremendously good athlete, and his foot speed is really pretty near what it was previously.”
Margot inked a $19 million, two-year contract with the Rays, which includes a $12 million mutual option for 2025 with a $2 million buyout. As part of that pact, he is paid $10 million this season.
As part of the Glasnow trade, the Rays have to pay the Dodgers an additional $2 million if the option is not exercised.
The Twins president of baseball operations, Derek Falvey, stated that his team will get the $4 million pledge in addition to an undisclosed sum from the Dodgers to pay Margot’s contract in 2024.
The Rays had already promised to send the Dodgers an additional $2 million toward Margot’s salary. In 2024, the Twins reduced their payroll due to lower revenue from regional television.
Michael A. Taylor, who became a free agent after playing 126 games in center field and hitting a career-high 21 home runs last season while star Byron Buxton was limited to designated hitter duty due to knee concerns, will essentially be replaced by Margot.
With Matt Wallner on left and Max Kepler on right, Buxton is back to normal and should be the starting center fielder.
The only other surefire pick for the opening day roster with consistent outfield experience was utilityman Willi Castro.
The Twins had been eyeing Margot for some time because of his superb defensive skills in the corners and his ability to cover center field when Buxton is not in the lineup.
What we’ve learned from guys who’ve played with him in Tampa and other places is how excellent he is right out of the bat, how intuitive he is, how good his reads are, and how he can move in both directions to get the ball, Falvey stated.
Doncon, 20, participated in Class A Rancho Cucamonga in the previous campaign. He left the Dominican Republic after signing a contract.
The Twins selected Miller with the 36th overall pick in the amateur draft of 2021. Last season, the 21-year-old played for Class A Cedar Rapids.
Hernández played all four infield and all three outfield positions in 140 games with the Red Sox and Dodgers in 2023, batting.237 with 11 home runs and 61 RBIs.
The 33-year-old became a free agent following the World Series and was reacquired by the Dodgers from Boston on July 25.
Hernández has participated in ten major league seasons, seven of which he spent partially with the Dodgers.
